We were having a conversation in the gym the other day about falling. Falls rank near the top of every list of fears among older adults and the unfortunate truth is this:
Gravity never stops working so everyone is going to fall.
Sorry if I scared you there, but it's the truth.
That doesn't mean we're all going to just start falling willy-nilly, though, so don't start panicking just yet.
Realizing this though, it begs some questions.
How do we prevent injuries or keep them to a minimum?
How do we get back up?
Luckily, the answers to all three questions are the same:
Get Stronger.
We know that one of the most effective ways to allay those fears is to get stronger.
Strength training improves:
Balance
Proprioception (your body's ability to sense where it is in space and adjust)
Confidence
Mobility
All of those things will help in preventing falls.
So, we know how strength training helps prevent falls now how does it help us prevent or keep injuries to a minimum?
Strength training is the best thing you can do to improve your bone density, which is incredibly important particularly for women, as well as strengthen your muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
That means your body is better able to protect itself from the fall's impact.
And after you fall, what happens next? You can hopefully get back up. This is where strength training is the most important thing you can do.
All the cardio and flexibility in the world are not going to matter even a little bit if you're on the ground. Please understand that. Strength is what gets you upright. That's it. Strength.
And if you're wondering if focusing on strength training will cause you to neglect your cardio and flexibility, don't worry, because strength training improves those things, too!
To sum it all up, falling is a very real concern but it's one that can be mitigated at least a little through proper strength training.
Castro Valley Fitness
2861 Grove Way in Castro Valley 510-755-9191 info@CastroValleyFitness.com